What: 1965 Porsche 356 C Cabriolet Emory Special
Color: Tropical Green Metallic (tropicalgrün; metallic effect UNI; unknown; Emory)
Chassis: 221802
Mileage: 416 miles since completion by Emory
Price Estimate: $550,000 – $700,000
Location: Carmel, CA
Auction listing: Link
Some collector cars are defined by their rarity. Others by their provenance. Then there are those that stand apart because they represent the pinnacle of a particular craft. This 1965 Porsche 356 C “Emory Special” Cabriolet, crossing the block at Bonhams’ The Quail Auction during Monterey Car Week, belongs firmly in the latter category.
Unlike Rod Emory’s now-famous Outlaw builds, every Emory Special begins with a blank sheet of paper. Rather than applying a familiar formula, each commission is designed around the individual client, resulting in a one-of-one interpretation of the Porsche 356. This example may be among the most ambitious yet, transforming what began life as a 356 C coupe into a bespoke open-top grand tourer that blends vintage Porsche design with thoroughly modern engineering.
Visually, the car walks a careful line between subtlety and reinvention. Finished in unique Tropical Green Metallic over a Vine Green leather interior, the body has been reshaped with deleted bumpers, Pre-A-style rolled rocker panels, reverse decklid louvers, GT mirrors and a lower windshield designed specifically to complement its removable Speedster-inspired hardtop. Every alteration feels considered rather than conspicuous, preserving the spirit of the 356 while creating a car that could never have left Zuffenhausen this way.
Beneath the handcrafted bodywork lies the technical transformation that has become synonymous with Emory Motorsports. Power comes from the 2.6-liter Emory-Rothsport “Outlaw-4,” a remarkable flat-four developed with Jeff Gamroth of Rothsport Racing that borrows heavily from Porsche 911 engineering. Producing a claimed 260 horsepower and paired with a 901 five-speed transaxle, it delivers more than double the output of the original 356 while maintaining the compact packaging and character of a four-cylinder engine.
The chassis has received equal attention. Independent rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel disc brakes, adjustable dampers and modern Michelin Pilot Sport tires transform the driving experience without dramatically increasing weight. At just 1,975 pounds, the finished car promises the sort of performance that few vintage sports cars—modified or otherwise—can match. Even modern conveniences, including Classic Retrofit electric air conditioning, have been integrated without compromising the car’s period aesthetic.
Completed in February 2024, the Cabriolet has accumulated only 416 miles, effectively presenting as a newly delivered commission without the multi-year wait typically associated with an Emory build. That rarity alone is significant. With each Emory Special uniquely conceived and built around a specific owner’s vision, opportunities to acquire one on the secondary market remain exceptionally uncommon.
As the market for bespoke, coachbuilt reinterpretations continues to mature, Emory occupies a distinctive position. Unlike traditional restorations, these cars are neither replicas nor modified classics in the conventional sense. They are highly personal expressions built with the same attention to engineering and craftsmanship that defines the world’s finest low-volume manufacturers. For collectors seeking perhaps the ultimate evolution of the Porsche 356, this one-off Emory Special Cabriolet may prove difficult to surpass.
